Benchmarks hint at next-gen Ivy Bridge MacBook Pro, iMac

Geekbench benchmarks that appear to be from unreleased versions of Apple's MacBook Pro and iMac computers have surfaced online and serve as compelling evidence of upcoming upgrades from the company.

Scores for a MacBook Pro9,1 and an iMac13,2 were discovered by a MacRumors forum user on Sunday, as noted by the publication. Though it's possible the results were spoofed, the model numbers, if accurate, are higher than Apple's current-generation models.

According to the benchmarks, the MacBookPro9,1 was running Max OS X 10.8 (Build 12A211), a build that has yet to be released to developers. The machine reportedly made use of a quad-core 2.70 GHz Core i7-3820QM processor and received a GeekBench score of 12,252. That compares to a score of around 10,500 for the Core i7-2860QM processor found in the current MacBook Pro.

Benchmarks for the alleged iMac13,2 were posted a few days before the MacBook Pro results. The desktop was also powered by a quad-core i7 chip, though the model number was 3770 and the clock speed was 3.40 GHz. The operating system for the iMac was described as Mac OS X 10.8 (Build 12A2040), which may have been running an earlier build of Mac OS X 10.8 than that of the aforementioned MacBook Pro. The Geekbench score for the iMac came in at 12,183.

The report also noted that the motherboard identifiers for both machines match up with Mac models discovered in the first developer preview of OS X 10.8.

Geekbench has served as an accurate source of leaks in the past. In 2010, early benchmarks matched the eventual specifications of a MacBook Pro upgrade.

In March, benchmarks reportedly for "Hackintosh" Ivy Bridge-powered computers appeared online. A 3.50GHz Core i7-3770K CPU running Mac OS X 10.7 was said to have received a score of 13,453.

Chipmaker Intel officially launched its Ivy Bridge architecture late last month. Ahead of the release, CEO Paul Otellini indicated that the "bulk" of the first wave of chips would go to desktop computers. A second batch of Ivy Bridge processors bound for lightweight notebooks are scheduled to be released later this quarter.

AppleInsider reported in February that, according to sources, Apple is readying upgrades to its MacBook Pro line that will draw from MacBook Air-style design choices, such as solid-state drives, omission of an optical drives and instant-on capabilities.

"They're all going to look like MacBook Airs," the source said of the upcoming MacBook Pro models.

Rumors have also suggested that Apple will release new iMacs in June or July. One report claimed last month that the new iMacs will feature anti-reflective displays.

It seems strange to me that we did not witness the traditional never ending story about leaked parts. Few weeks before release, it seems now established that people anonymously post pictures of various elements belonging to new models, thereby generating more buzz about the incoming hardware. But not this time. Up to now, who has behold even a glimpse of the alleged new unibody chassis?

The thing is i don't think the iMac has enough room for a powerful or a decent sized desktop GPU to breathe properly. That's why the Mac Pro still remains the only choice for professional users. Here's to hoping for a quick Mac Pro refresh!

An iMac with a 3770 would be great, but the main upgrade-or-not deciding factor for me would be a powerful GPU.

I suspect this is the case for many users. A good GPU can make a huge difference in the way the machine runs. This is why I'm worried about the rumors that baseline Mac Pros will not have a descrete GPU.

The other thing is RAM, it would be nice to see Apple get with the program and set up the base Mac Book Pro with 8GB of RAM.

It seems strange to me that we did not witness the traditional never ending story about leaked parts. Few weeks before release, it seems now established that people anonymously post pictures of various elements belonging to new models, thereby generating more buzz about the incoming hardware. But not this time. Up to now, who has behold even a glimpse of the alleged new unibody chassis?

I just take this as a sign Apple has clamped down hard, most likely because major revisions are coming our way. Yeah wishful thinking. However I do see a convergence of technologies that would lead to a very interesting update if Apple wants to be on the bleeding edge.

I suspect this is the case for many users. A good GPU can make a huge difference in the way the machine runs. This is why I'm worried about the rumors that baseline Mac Pros will not have a descrete GPU.
The other thing is RAM, it would be nice to see Apple get with the program and set up the base Mac Book Pro with 8GB of RAM.